Dispensing container



J1me 1949- M. I. WILLIAMSON DISPENSING CONTAINER v 3 Sheets-Sheet I Filed April 1'7, 1946 INVENTOR.

MAR HA'LL 1. WILLIAMSON B Zia A TORNEY M. l. WILLIAMSON DISPENSING CONTAINER Jun 14, 1949.

3 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed April' 17, 1946 4INVENT0R.

MARSHALL 1. WILLIAMSON 7 u 1949. M. I. WILLIAMSON Q 2,472,871

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed April 17, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet s I INVENTORQ MARHALL l. WILLIAMSON Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CONTAINER Marshall I. Williamson, New Haven, Conn.

Application April 17, 1946, Serial No. 662,801 7 Claims. (01. 206-42) My invention relates to improvements in dispensing containers.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple,

efllcient and inexpensive container or receptacle for packaging, and dispensing individually, a plurality of unit items, such as medicinal tablets, or pills.

An object is to provide such a container which will dispense the contained items one at a time quickly and positively by substantially a mere flip of the thumb or finger of a user, and which can be constructed relatively simply and economically from various materials.

A feature of the invention resides in the'provision of a container or receptacle having a pivoted closure adapted to be partially projected outwardly to form a delivery chute, whereby the items constituting the contents may be dis charged.

Another feature resides in the provision of a receptacle body portion and an envelope or covering therefor, and a cover portion for the receptacle body portion, pivotally secured thereto,

and serving as a delivery chute for effecting the removal or discharge of part of the contents, and, at the same time, serving to prevent discharge of the remaining portion of the contents of said receptacle body portion.

Another feature resides in the provision of a dispensing package comprising an enclosing envelope or sleeve and a box or receptacle slidable therein having a hinged cover which serves as a chute in effecting the piece-by-piece removal of the articles in said box.

A further feature resides in the provision of a dispensing package comprising a tubular enclosing envelope or sleeve and a box or receptacle slidably disposed therein having a cover portion pivotally secured thereto and normally maintained closed, and adapted to be raised by pressure applied manually at one end thereof.

Further, a feature resides in the provision of a dispensing package, preferably formed of thin, light material, such as cardboard, sheet plastic or other sheet material, molded plastic, or other suitable material, for storing relatively thin flat articles such as tablets, discs, or spherical bodies, and dispensing the same one-at-a-time by means of a cover which also serves to hold back the remainder of the contents within the package.

Other objects will, in part, be obvious, and, in

part, be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel features of, construction, and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of dispensing package constructed according to, and embodying my said invention;

Fig. 2 is an illustrative view showing the manner of manipulating the device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line Fig. 9 is an enlarged central longitudinal section showing the cover portion fully opened and one tablet released thereby, and the remainder retained in place within the receptacle;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the several component parts of the device in exploded relation;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in vertical section and partly diagrammatic in character, of mechanism which may be used for filling the dispensing container of the foregoing figures with contents;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a closed auxiliary carton in which refills of medicinal tablets or the like may be merchandised.

Fig. 13 is a similar view of the auxiliary carton open, showing the packing arrangement of tablets within; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the dispensing container of the invention being refilled from the auxiliary carton of Figs. 12 and 13.

In the drawings, the device comprises a sleeve ll of flat, substantially rectangular formation, substantially closed at its lower end and open at its top, and having one upper corner l2 cut away or biased conveniently at an angle of Within the sleeve l I is slidably disposed a shallow box or receptacle 13, whose configuration corresponds generally with that of the sleeve II.

The sleeve H is provided at its lower end with semi-circular thumb-openings II to facilitate projection of the receptacle I3 outwardly thereof.

The receptacle I3 is closed at one side 14, and at its bottom l5, but is open at its opposite side [6. Its top is open, but the upper ends of its broad panel walls are connected by a tranverse member l1, formed in the illustrated instance by overlapping portions li The reference number [8 denotes a recessed or deeply notched corner portion having a horizontal lower edge l9 and a rounded or curved side 20, terminating in short horizontally projecting ends 2|. The opposite corner portion at the same end of the receptacle is cut-away or biased in the manner similar to the afore-described sleeve H.

The cover 22 comprises a relatively narrow top 23 having depending longitudinal walls 24 united at their lower forward ends by a trans verse member or stop 25, thereby forming a delivery chute and having, an extension or flap 26 at its opposite or rear end extending downwardly therefrom and serving to close the rear open end of the cover 22. The side walls 24 of the cover 22 are adapted to embrace and extend over the outer sides of the receptacle l3 at the top thereof, and the transverse member IE to be receivd within the recess E8 of the receptacle l3. The cut away or biased corner of the receptacle I3 serves, in combination with the projections 2| thereof, as limit stops for determining the open-discharge position of the delivery chute portion of the cover 22 when the opposite portion of the cover is depressed, as shown at Figs. 2 and 9.

The reference number 2'! denotes a fiat spring having one end 28, Fig. 10, folded back and firmly embracing the transverse member I! of the receptacle 13, The said spring 27 is provided near its middle with laterally extending cars 29 which are disposed within the bearings 30 in the side walls 24 of the cover whereby the cover 22 is held attached to the receptacle 3. The freerear end of the spring 21 is bent slightly upward, and bears against the underside of the cover top 28 in order to maintain the cover 22 normally under tension in closing position relative to the receptacle [3.

The. operation of the device is as follows:

Normally when the receptacle I3 is fully housed within the envelope or enclosure II, the cover 22 will be closed and held in that position by the spring 27. In order to discharge the contents f the receptacle S with a oneby-one operation. it merely becomes necessary to depress the rear end of the cover 22, by pressure of thefinger. until the upper surface thereof becomes aligned with the inclined edges of the, cut-away comer of the enclosure ll. This movement will result. in exposing the open end of the cover 22, and permit. one of the tablets or articles 32 to be discharged through the open end of said cover 22, and the remainder of the tablets restrained by the transverse portion of the receptacle l3 and the ransv rse portion 25 of the cover 22. When the pres ur upon. the rear end of the cover 22 is re d. the v r will resume its closed Position. as indicated at Figs. 8 and 9, and receive, between the transverse portion ll of the receptacle l3 and the transverse member or stop 25 of the cover 22, the next succeeding tablet 32, and hold the same in position until releasedand discharged through the open, free end of the cover 22, and the cover again returned to its closed position to receive the next tablet. This operation may, then be repeated until all of the tablets in the receptacle have been discharged from the re- 4 ceptacle l3, whereupon the receptacle may be refilled if desired.

The original filling of the receptacle I3 is preferably carried out by suitable automatic machinery, supplemented, if necessary, by intermediate manual operations. In Fig. 11 is indicated one manner of carrying this out.

As illustrated, the receptacles I3 are fed successively through a chute 50 to the surface of a conveyor belt 5|, where they stand on their closed sides M, if necessary by the use of suitable supporting standards (not shown), as they are carried in end to end serial alignment forwardly to the filling chute 52. Their open sides are upward, ready to receive a charge of tablets, which stand ready for discharge in successive se regated groups 53 within the filling chute 52.

Sliding withdrawal of the gate 54 at the discharge mouth of the filling chute 52 allows a charge 53 to slide into a receptacle l3, through its open side, as it passes thereunder. A successive charge is dropped into discharge position by sliding withdrawal of the next upper gate 55.

The filled receptacle l3 now travels to a subsequent station, where envelopes H are fed successively from a chute 56. Here, it may be manually slid forward into an envelope H, which has dropped into its path, thereby completing assembly of a filled dispensing container pursuant to the invention, ready for use,

Following discharge of the final tablet from a discharge container, the receptacle l3 may be refilled by the user. For this purpose refill groups of tablets are provided in auxiliary cartons 8!],

3 Figs; 12 and 13. A group of tablets may be transferred from an auxiliary carton 60 to an empty receptacle I 3 by the manual operation illustrated in Fig. 14.

Whereas this invention has been described with respect to a preferred specific embodiment thereof, it should be understood that various changes may be made in said embodiment and various other forms may be constructed by those skilled in the ,art without departing from the spirit and generic purview of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispensing container for unit items, comprising a receptacle shell of fiat, substantially rectangular, pocket formation made up of a pair of oppositely disposed, broad side walls joined by top and bottom walls and a front wall; a deep notch formed at the upper, front corner of said receptacle shell, said notch cutting through the upper part of said front wall and into adjacent portions of said broad side walls and said top wall; a bias formed at the upper, rear corner of said receptacle shell opposite said deep notch, said bias cutting across said broad side walls and said top wall, and forming a corner opening in the said receptacle shell; a cover pivoted to said receptacle shell at the top thereof, the pivot axis extending transversely across the'top wall of said receptacle shell and being disposed between the said deep notch and the said bias, said cover having its front end formed as a delivery chute which fits into said deep notch and extends longitudinally therealong between front and rear thereof, normally closing the top of same, said delivery chute having an open, receiving, rear end and an open, discharge, front end, and said cover having its rear end fitting snugly about the said corner opening formed at the upper rear corner of the receptacleshellby said bias, the said rear end of the cover serving to close said opening and being slida-ble with respect to the defining walls of said opening, but normally extending above such defining walls so as to be depressible under downward pressure exerted upon said rear end of the cover, whereby the discharge end of said delivery chute may be elevated; and an external sleeve snugly covering the said receptacle shell laterally, and normally closing the discharge end of said delivery chute.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the top wall of the receptacle shell which lies between the deeply notched corner opening and the corner bias, serves, together with the bottom wall of the delivery chute, as restraining means for holding back unit items within the receptacle shell when the delivery chute is elevated.

3. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein a spring member is arranged between receptacle shell and cover for maintaining the normal closed position of said cover.

4. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the several parts of the device are fabricated from out and scored blanks of paper box board.

5. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the rear wall of the cover is a depending skirt freely hanging from the top wall of the cover and tucked in between the receptacle shell and the external sleeve.

6. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the receptacle shell has no rear wall, and the external sleeve serves as a rear closure.

7. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein a flat spring insert member is secured to the top wall of the receptacle shell and extends back under the rear portion of the cover, said spring insert member having sidewardly extending ears which serve to pivot the cover.

MARSHALL I. WILLIAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,891,817 Hildebrand Dec. 20, 1932 2,035,246 Rea Mar. 24, 1936 2,216,476 Mutz Oct. 1, 1940 2,282,036 Cobbs et a1. May 5, 1942 

